At a glance

This policy brief provides practical guidance to Member States and stakeholders for an improved common understanding of safe and inclusive access to services for migrants. The brief makes the case for enhanced access to services for migrants in the context of COVID-19 preparedness, prevention, and response – and beyond. 

What it offers

This brief presents specific considerations for Member States and other stakeholders on the provision of access to services for migrants in the context of COVID-19 preparedness, prevention, and control as well as mitigating its social and economic impacts. It provides recommended actions aligned with the guiding principles and objectives of the GCM, and a UN Framework for the immediate socio-economic response to COVID-19, to ensure migrants have access to all basic services and support measures regardless of migration status. This is done by:

• Highlighting the vulnerability, risk, and agency of migrants, as well as their exclusion and threat to public health when migration is not well managed
• Highlighting the commitments that Member States made in the GCM to ensure that all migrants, regardless of their migration status, can exercise their human rights through safe access to basic services, among others.

Further information

This brief was developed by the thematic workstream on Access to Services under the co-leadership of WHO and UN-Habitat, with support and contributions from its members including FAO, ILO, IOM, OHCHR, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women, Caritas on behalf of Initiative for Child Rights, IFRC, PICUM, PSI and UCLG.